UPDATE 1-Tennis-Federer survives Pospisil scare in Cincinnati

Aug 13, Roger Federer survived an opening-match fright by outlasting Canada's Vasek Pospisil 7-6(4) 5-7 6-2 on Wednesday to claim his 300th Masters Series win and reach the third round of the Western and Southern Open in Cincinnati.

Back in action after losing to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the final of the Rogers Cup in Toronto on Sunday, third-ranked Federer appeared sluggish at times as he struggled to tame the 46th-ranked Canadian.

With the victory, the second seeded Swiss, a five-time champion on the Cincinnati hard courts, becomes the first player to reach 300 wins in the ATP Tour's elite Masters 1000 events.

Neither player was able to capitalize on early break chances before Federer eventually won the first set tiebreak on a forehand error by the Canadian.

Pospisil, Wimbledon doubles champion with American Jack Sock, battled back to take the second set but a focused Federer wasted no time taking charge in the third with an early break putting him on the way to clinching the milestone win.